One Aimless Writer

Spacey Kindle Issues

2012-01-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

In formatting for Kindle, uploading the manuscript on Kindle to see how it looked wasn't helpful. It went up with all these weird sentence breaks. So now I don't know if when I put it up on Amazon for download, if it will have these same weird line breaks. Frustration. The Amazon publishing guide didn't answer this issue. This book, Soul Mates, isn't even on of my favorite things I've written. I like it well enough but I wrote it on a dare and then kind of liked the story. It's more of a novella and I'm putting it up as an experiment so I'm trying not to obsess over this stuff. But I still want it to be perfect. Maybe its the Virgo in me. Then yesterday I downloaded a free preview of a book and it has the same weird line breaks. Like you're tolling along and suddenlyin the middle of the sentence the words drop down on a different line. Why? Did this guy format the manuscript wrong? Was there some other conversion issue I'm missing here? Anyone else experience this issue?

Where to Hide the Bodies...

2012-01-14T21:44:00.001-05:00

In trying to make room in my creative cave for a futon (I do need somewhere to do my thinking) I took to cleaning out stuff I hadn't seen in a long time. First I dumped the old or even semi-old paint, cleared out the misfit brushes, stained water cans, and all those things I cut out of magazines, printed off the net and random sketches of what I wanted to paint someday. Then I turned to that big bin under my work bench and found it was packed with pages of some really old stories. Some 400 pages or better, some shorts and some stuff I still have on my computer and work on occasionally. And even some written on a typewriter (am I dating myself here?) and in the computer paper with the holes on the side. There were a couple of note books with a hand written story that encompassed 3 books. I barely remember writing it.It was real hard to keep cleaning and not stop and read it all though. There were some poems I must have written at a really angry time, old love poems and then the usual weird stuff that pops out of my brain if I'm not on alert. It was really hard to let this stuff go. I know there's a few boxes in the attic and maybe one or two of those under the bed storage boxes under my bed with pages and pages of stories and that, realistically, I'll never do anything with. I'll never polish, publish or even read them but for some reason it's comforting to have them here. I think of them as a legacy of sorts. Maybe someday when I'm gone my kids will read these things and know a little bit more about what made me tick. That the woman who took care of them, raised them and set them loose on the world was a bit more than chief cook and bottle washer. But then again...maybe they shouldn't see too far into my mind...it might make them wonder about my sanity. So where do you keep your bodies? And why do you keep them?

Kindle Tips?

2012-01-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

In formatting a book from word for the kindle the information out there seems confusing. Different websites seem to say different things. I think the writing is easy compared to all this detail stuff. Anyone know of a good website that's easy to understand about formatting for Kindle? Did you format and upload your own book or pay someone? One good thing about going the traditional publishing route is that someone else does all this grunt work for you. After watching more and more new and established authors go Indy I wonder how the publishing houses feel? I once went to a conference where they had this machine that would print on demand. Put the instructions in one end and a fully binded book pops out the other end. They hoped to sell this machine to schools, stores and anyone who wanted an instant book. This was supposed to be the new thing in publishing. this was a few years before Kindle hit the market.

Now that Amazon and all the Indy epub opportunities are here I wonder what the future of traditional publishing will bring.

Responsibility & Life

2012-01-09T21:50:00.001-05:00

So much of life is about taking responsibility. Responsibility for a job, car/house payment, kids, pets and so on and so on and so on. Sometimes it's scary and sometimes its exciting. I finished my book, Soul Mates and its in final edits (at least I hope they're final!) and soon it will be up on Amazon. It excites me, it scares the hell out of me. And its a responsibility too. When this goes out with any mistakes, typos or story line glitches its out there for the world to see. Scary.Sink or swim. No take backs.Sometimes I think the only way people succeed is if they drop the fear, take the responsibility and just go for it. Was Thomas Edison afraid to flip the switch and let them see his new toy? Did he wonder if he'd be laughed at or just figure his toy was so awesome of course they would love it. Maybe Thomas' experience isn't quite the right one to bring forth. But as for writers? The traditional writers wouldn't be a comparison because they had editors, professional designers, and a whole crew at a publishing house. I forgo all that to jump in as an Indy. Somedays I want to shout; TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY! Going it alone is scary and thrilling. And with great power comes great responsibility. Soon. What's that dog got to so with all this responsibility stuff? She's my foster dog Daisy. Came up from Tennessee before Christmas and I think her situation might have been abusive. She sometimes flinches when I raise my hand. She didn't play or even look at the toys until she was here over two weeks. She came a fragile little ball of fur and is slowly coming to trust. Finding a home for a dog like this is a great responsibility. I want the home to be loving and kind and most of all gentle with this lost little soul. I want to make the best choice when I match her to a forever family. See, it's the "R" word again. It follows our lives like ...well i was going to say the stars above and be nice and poetic but the vision that hits me is like gum stuck to your shoe or too much peanut butter in the roof of your mouth. It's there, it's sticky and you can't get rid of it. So I guess I'll embrace it.

From Writing to Painting....

2011-12-02T12:18:00.001-05:00

I'm almost thinking I should change this blog to AimlessPainter as I'm painting more than writing right now. Or (see Pic) burning. That piece of wood was etched with a wood burner and when I'm done burning it I'll paint around the burn marks. I like this stuff but almost asphyxiate myself with the smoke while working. This piece is about 8 feet long and I'm going to use it as a valance in the front living room. I'll post a pic when it's done and up. I'm still editing my Soul Mates novella and it's coming along. What I can't believe is that after three full edits I still find something.

I have a reader who is helping and we're passing the story back and forth as we edit. I was hoping to have it up on Amazon by Sept, then November...now I'm seeing the reality is that it might be up by Christmas because I'm sick of looking at it and ready to work on something else. I think painting and wood burning is keeping me sane during this process. Instead of just editing I still get to create something. Next project under the paintbrush will be a three canvas beach scene. So? What do you do when writing just isn't enough?

Copyrights and Ebooks

2011-08-31T09:39:00.002-04:00

For anyone who has an ebook on Amazon or B&N: Do you have a copyright on your books? Did you do the whole register with the copyright office or a poor man's copyright? (Where you mail yourself a copy and not open it)
How does this work? Do we need it? If you publish on Amazon does that kind of save your rights in any way?
I'm almost ready. Now just ironing out the details.
That's a picture of Hemmingway's desk. I take inspiration from it.

Procrastination & Fear

2011-08-28T13:19:00.004-04:00

I don't know why but for some reason I fear getting my work out there into the world. I've been calling it procrastination but, if I'm honest, it's fear. And I'm not generally a shy person.
My daddy once gave me the best advice I ever got: Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. (I wonder if he told me this because he saw my true nature lurking even when I was very young)
But its true. If you're ears are open you hear all kinds of things you don't hear when your mouth is going. This advice has gotten me through lots of tense situations. However, my rising sign sits on the cusp of Scorpio and Libra. I can hang back, take it in and then...and then...well, Scorpio's sting. Quick and lethal. I'm not real fearful of people or situations. My Scorpio takes over if pushed too far and SMACK! (literally or figuratively-whichever is necessary)
So why am I so fearful of this? My feet drag, I know I should get back to polishing my novella, Soul Mates, but I stall.
I think it's like opening a door and not knowing what's on the other side. Is it a fear of failure? Reviews? Critiques? Friends and Relatives seeing the inside of my mind? (Scary sometimes, although, Soul Mates is not one of the scary ones)
I have a friend who has a book out. It has a great premise but got really terrible reviews. I know she's a good writer, I've read other work she wrote. Then I read this and I have to agree with the reviewers. I feel awful. And I know she's written better stuff. So why was this so bad?
Ebooks put me here. Now I don't need any of the big 6 or little dozens to take my work. I can ebook it on Amazon. So there are no gatekeepers between my audience and my writing any more. If I put it out there it either flies on its own or sinks. My choice, my chance.
Then I think what if I have blinders on for my own work? Am I getting enough editing help? Should I join another editing group? Or will the mixed messages you sometimes get in these groups just confuse me?
Or should I take the plunge.
Anyone else so boggled down with ebook fear?

Used To Be...

2011-08-03T09:33:00.006-04:00

It used to be fear of that almighty rejection letter. Those envelopes would come in the mail and I'd try to push down the hope because...well, I'd had enough of them to know it's probably another rejection.
Then it got worse...email rejections. Those come fairly quick and hit you in the face as soon as you open your email box. Like ripping off a band aid you get that sharp sting-quick but still just as painful.
The times change...publishing rolls on...
And out comes Amazon for Indies.
We can put our books out there. Do it yourself publishing.
I admit I'm a coward, but this comes from years of jumping into the fire without thinking. Sometimes I wonder how I made it this far still unscathed. But I'm here. Older, hopefully wiser and looking at all the Indie authors. I've been reading their blogs for years, watching what and how they figured it out.
And now I'm ready. My book will be out there soon. Thrust into the world of Amazon looking for a chance.
So now without the fear of the rejection letter looming over my head I have a new fear or two.
Am I edited enough?
Is my book clean enough?
Does it flow?
Should I do something more?
I don't worry about going indie any more than I worry about the way I sell my art by walking it store to store. Its just another form of art.
If you're an indie...do you have fears?
The pup is Marley, up from a high kill shelter in Tennessee with her five puppies. She's looking for a home with lots of love.

Multiple genres

2011-07-31T21:31:00.003-04:00

As I approach getting ready to Kindle my book I wonder about a pen name. I write in several different genres so I worry about a person who reads my angel books, being upset about the darker books.
When I read Charlaine Harris I expect vampires and shape shifters. When I read Constance O'Day Connor I look for romance.
So, here's my question? How do you pick a pen name? I once read that if you write like King and Koontz you should pick a name that begins with K. Or if you're writing sci-fi pick the same initial as someone who's big in that genre.
Sounds like too much thinking. . . then there's Konrath.
King
Koontz
Hmmmmm, gotta think on this some more.
Do you have a pen name? Where did it come from?

P R O C R A S T I N A T I O N

2011-06-21T17:57:00.002-04:00

The biggest waste I have is time. I have so much to do and so little time to do it in, but for some strange reason I procrastinate. I drift from thing to thing, knowing I should be working on my WIP but not quite getting there.

I finished another edit (on paper) of the book I’m thinking of putting up on Amazon and now have to enter these changes in the computer. Then I have someone who will edit it for me a final time. When it passes that, then it goes up.

I think.

No, I know.

Yes, I think this will be a good thing.

It’s an experiment.

It’s a hope.

I guess.

So my plan today is to go home, let the dogs out, feed them, and sit down and get started.

Good plan, right?

Wanna take bets if it will actually happen?

Procrastination is an ugly word. It sits heavy on my shoulders and presses down when I’m trying to get up.

Maybe I’ll pick up some iced coffee first. A little caffeine goes a long way.

Verbal People

2011-06-16T21:45:00.003-04:00

I like verbal people. The ones that speak in pictures. Their general talk paints vivid images as they speak. My cousin is from the south and speaks in pictures. "If dirt were dumb, he'd be a mile." "His mouth just overloaded his butt."
See the dirt? Man standing in the middle of a mile long dirt field? The mouth/butt thing...scary visual, but I'm not sure what it means.
I think this is more common in the south. Jersey girls don't speak in pictures, they speak in staccato bursts. "Do it." "Wassup?" "Yo, bitch."
What do you see? Ummm...nothing.
But I like when people speak in pictures better. Or maybe its because I don't hear it that often and, try as I might, I can't think quick enough to do it on the fly.
My cos also uses "bless his heart" a lot too. Its like a disclaimer. You can say anything and you're cool if you end it with "bless his heart".
Right now I'm listening to an audio book for my 40 min ride to hell...oops...I mean work (bless it's heart). Charlaine Harris, Dead as a Doornail. A Sookie Stackhouse vampire story. I'm not a big vamp reader overall but some of them grab me. I'm also reading Amanda Hocking's 4th book and one of the Lee Child, Reacher stories.
Anyway, Sookie Stackhouse has the verbal/picture/words down pat. I think I love the words more than the story. (Although it is an excellent book---just ask HBO)
Sometimes in writing it comes easier. On a good day the words flow and little sayings actually make it onto the page. But I think to give the picture words the right delivery you have to be specially trained or something.
Do you speak like this? Write?

What the F***

2011-06-14T11:08:00.004-04:00

I was just browsing Yahoo news (while I should have been writing) and came across a man ejected for using the F word. When sitting on the airplane, the flight was delayed without explanation so he said, "What the F-word is taking so long?"
A flight attendant sitting behind him, had him removed from the plane. To that I say, "What the fuck?"
It's just a word. A very popular word at that, so what's the problem? Did this flight attendant never hear the word before? Were his virgin ears so offended he couldn't just ask the guy not to use that word? Or was his ego so big he had to bully this guy off the plane?
And who decided that the word fuck would be the bad word but intercourse could fly under the radar? And what about shit? How come we can say "Oh, poopie" and not get the same glare as to when we say shit?
It's a word, for crying out loud! Its just a word and it's not going to hurt anyone. If everyone just pretended it was just another word, no one would even notice it's existence.
So when is it okay to use the word fuck in writing? Does a tough character use the word? An angry teen? A woman? In what instance would it be okay for a woman to just say fuck it?
And if you know who decided the word fuck was to be the bad word, please let me know. I want to know why his word is law.

Ebooks Rock!

2011-04-16T10:28:00.001-04:00

I always thought I'd never come to love the Kindle as much as I love paper books but owning one has made me realize I love the words more than the format. I have books all over my house. To pare down my husband has to wretch them from my death grip before I'll give one up. Even then I have to reason with him as to why I should keep each one. He's an ex-Marine. They are trained to live out of a duffel bag and not to form attachments to material things. Even a so called "ex" Marine is still a Marine. The training and brainwashing they go through stays with them forever. Once a Marine always a Marine. It's what I love about him, its the exact opposite of me and that's a good thing. I'm an artist and happiest when covered in paint creating something or spinning stories on my laptop. I need the Marine's discipline. Otherwise every room in the house would have sunflowers and puppies painted on the walls and there would be books stacked everywhere. My Marine keeps me in balance.
Back to the subject...
Books are my magic. It like having thousands of little brains retaining information for me. I keep the fiction I absolutely love or whose writing I find amazing. I keep non-fiction where the information is something I want to come back to for reference.
And now I Kindle. I have this little device that brings stories to my fingertips with just a click. It's amazing. And addictive. When you can get a book zipped into your hands so quickly it's easy to load up. So now I have all these books on my Kindle and I should really stop until I read them all. Really.
I should.
But Amazon calls me.
What about you? Do you Kindle?

To Be or Not To Be

2011-03-02T21:55:00.004-05:00

There is a woman at work and I'm kind of coaching her on some freelancing basics. Demand Studios, Constant Content and writing for the Trues. Today we got into a discussion about admitting we are writers.
Long ago I thought I couldn't say I was a writer until I was published. It wasn't until I joined critique groups and Romance Writers of America that I discovered it wasn't a bad thing to admit I was a writer even if I hadn't been paid for it yet.
Being a writer is something you are because of what you do. Finances had nothing to do with it. Of course it would be better if we had money coming in from writing but that doesn't make us any less a writer.
The leap to answer questions about your career choices by saying, "I'm a writer." can be a big one. Big and scary.
Today I told my friend that she is a writer. She sold! I could see the realization dawning in her eyes. Like, Oh yeah-I am a writer!
In becoming a writer I think there are many hurdles. Stating you're a writer is one of the biggest steps. It puts you out there, face to the world, declaring what you are.
Scary at first. Then oh so satisfying.

Going Indie

2011-02-26T09:14:00.004-05:00

Self publishing used to be called Vanity publishing because is was deemed more about ego than skill. Some self pubs were good, most were not.
Now with Amazon's ebook program anyone can self publish and they no longer call them self published, now, they're Indies. Independent publishing. And now that I have my Kindle I'm reading some and so far they're all good. The Indies have come a long way. I think they're better educated writers who understand the importance of critique and editing. Some have writer friends who help with the editing process, others pay for a professional to edit for them. Either way I think the Indies are a new breed in the industry and they're paving the way for a big change in publishing.
I write constantly. It's what I love to do. To get paid to do this would be a dream and not just to be "published" but to be able to keep writing while I paid some bills.
So I'm going Indie. As I've said before I'm working on rewriting something I've submitted in the past and had some good comments on from an agent and editor. I like this story. It's a paranormal romance about angels. I'd like to have it up sometime this summer.
Now I feel weird facing my gaggle of friends who traditionally publish. One of them an agent, other multi-published authors. Some are locked in the "self-pub bad" mode from years ago and aren't ready to face the new Indie revolution. I think some agents may feel threatened by the Indies. Others unbelieving that an Indie could do anything worth reading. I wonder if some are surfing the ebooks to offer representation?
I think publishing is in the middle of a revolution and there's no telling which way it will go. (Well, I think I know)
All I want to do is get paid so I can write more. I want to tell my stories, that's all. I don't want to go to book signings, do the dog and pony shows, or care if anyone knows who I am. I just want people to enjoy my stories.
What's wrong with that? If Amazon lets me do this with the chance of making some money then I'm ready to give it a try.
Anyone else going Indie? How do you feel about this?

Could this be about Critics?

2011-02-19T21:39:00.004-05:00

Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.

To and fro they went
Thro' my garden-bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.

Then it grew so tall
It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o'er the wall
Stole the seed by night.

Sow'd it far and wide
By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried
`Splendid is the flower.'

Read my little fable:
He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.

And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.

--Lord Alfred Tennyson

A man's reach should exceed his grasp...

2011-02-17T18:37:00.005-05:00

What does "We pay $1,000 against a 25% royalty. (The royalty enters the picture with respect to downloadable versions of the work.)" mean?

I was surfing over to Hero's and Heartbreakers and there was a call for submissions for shorts. I've sold a few to the trues so I was thinking of seeing if I have something for this one, but I don't understand what "against a 25% royalty" means.
And I thought I knew everything. :)
These publishers speak a different language. I think it could mean they pay the thou up front then 25% after that is earned out. Hey if I got the thou up front I'd be happy to let the story sit and germinate. But what if it means something else? This makes me wonder if my story could earn more if I sent it somewhere else.
And then I saw something on Amazon called Kindle Singles. I'm not sure what that is? Single stories? Are they talking novellas? It says expressed in it's natural length...hmmm. I saw one at 30 pages. Most I see are selling at 1.99. Not bad for 30 pages. If you want a quick read or have a short attention span something like this might be good. I think this section, which doesn't seem to have a lot to it yet, will grow by leaps and bounds. I wonder how long (or short) a Kindle Single can be? Either way, putting a short up on Amazon might be a better pay off in the long run.
I've seen several places that want short stories but don't pay and I wonder why would anyone want to submit? Why not put it up on your own blog if you're not going to get paid for it?
Thoughts?

Yay Kindle!

2011-02-15T21:19:00.005-05:00

My wonderful hubby gave me a Kindle for Valentine's Day! Yay! Books beat out chocolate and flowers every time.
I've been surfing for a case for it because I'm so scared of damaging it. I'm afraid to bring it to work in case I bang it or crush it or drop it since I usually carry a backpack with my WIP (printed out), water, lunch, a book (Karen Slaughter's Broken), iPod & wire, notebook, magazines...What can I say? I'm really bored at work, I need to keep entertained.
Now I'm so excited to have a Kindle I'm surfing Amazon and scooping up some books. I'm not sure how to find the free ones yet but when books are only 2.99 my book budget is suddenly worth a lot more.
I don't think a Kindle can replace books. I still love the feel of a paperback in my hands. Something about cracking the spine of a new book and turning those pages is like comfort food. I read in bed and there's usually a book or two under my pillow. I don't think I can tuck my Kindle under my pillow. And what about the beach? Dare I take it to the beach? I worry enough about the cell phone and the sand.
:)
Later gators! I'm going to play with my Kindle!
My first purchase:

That thing in the book...

2011-02-12T09:33:00.004-05:00

There's something in some books that bring you so far into the character and their world that you forget you're reading. When you have to put that book down all you can think about is what happens next. Some authors seem to do this easily, others...not so much. It has to be there and it has to be consistent throughout the entire book.
As I read and listen to books I try to figure out what this is. Is it the character's thoughts? Actions? Thoughts about their actions? It's something around that stuff.
In Meg Cabot's Insatiable she went into the main character's head a lot. We heard her thoughts and how she muddled through things happening to and around her. When other characters popped up it was inside the main character's head that we heard the discription.
Stephen King does this in The Dome. (Excellent book now available in paperback. I did the audio book.) We almost constantly see what's happening through the thoughts of the few main characters.
So is this the way you write? Omnipresent or inside a head? Which is better? Does one give us a more personal view of the world created?
This is my Edgar Allen Poe action figure. Every writer needs one.

When words ... show

2011-02-09T18:56:00.005-05:00

I just finished Meg Cabot's Insatiable. Great book about a woman who doesn't believe in vampires learns they might be everywhere. This book was soooo well written I felt as if I was sucked into another worlds. The words Meg wrote gave vivid pictures, ripped the feelings from my soul and made me laugh out loud.
Now I'm reading Karin Slaughter's Broken and on the first page we get: "It wasn't so much raining as misting down a cold wetness, like walking around inside a dog's nose."
Can ya feel that? The cold dampness that sticks to your skin like a slick slime? These are words that give such an image that I can feel it. These are the words of a great writer. Someone who can conjure up a world and make me feel like I stepped right into it. Someone who can make me forget I'm reading.
I wish I could write such images. Even in the deepest end of my zone I don't think I could think to link rain to my dog's nose. Could you?
What are you reading and how well is it written?

The Zone

2011-02-03T22:07:00.003-05:00

My best writing comes from a place I call "the zone". When I find the zone I can write for hours and shut out everything around me. The writing is smooth and flows like a river. I'm in the story, inside my characters and it is wonderful. When I leave the zone it's like coming up for air. I have to blink and focus to come back out of the zone. And as the zone slips back into the nether-regions of my mind there's a pang of regret.
I love the zone.
My day job is very slow right now. We're allowed to goof off. One girl cross stitches, one finger paints on her ipad, one has a jigsaw puzzle on her desk. I go crazy. Those close to me say I can use this time for writing, but that doesn't always work. The zone is hard to find when there's a lot of chatter going on around you. I use an ipod but we're only allowed to use one head phone. Sometimes not enough to blot out the noise, but it's better than nothing.
The zone doesn't come easy at the day job. Sometimes I can grab it and other times it slips through my fingers like sands through the hourglass.
This book is going to take me forever to edit.

Amazon-ing

2011-01-27T18:19:00.003-05:00

It's a cold day here in NJ and we're hunkered down with movies, our computers and the wood stove. That's another 14 inches of snow on top of the 4 inches from yesterday morning and the foot from last week and the 30 inches from the week after Christmas. Can someone tell me when I moved to Montana, because I can't remember.
It's nice and warm in here as we watch the squirrels and birds raiding the bird feeders in the back yard. I feel bad for them. I'm going to have to get more seed.
So I wandered over to Amazon.com to see what's new. Now I know I'm probably late to the party but I found a Kindle app for my PC. My dh has a Kindle but I haven't gotten that far yet. Sooon...very sooon.
I'm not really a fan of reading too much on the PC but the Kindle app is pretty good. The words are clear and easy to read and flipping the pages is quick. I do get the urge to scroll but that's fading.
I didn't download too much because I'm going to get a Kindle and wasn't sure how to flip it back and forth from PC to Kindle. I haven't read any of the directions. I'm sure it's in there somewhere and I think I can copy them back and forth. The one think I couldn't see how to do was print a page. I would like to do that. hmmmmm
There has to be a way.
Anyway for those of you, like me, who haven't jumped onto the Kindle bandwagon just yet this might be a great way to get started. Surprisingly, reading on the computer wasn't as bad as I envisioned, but I won't be able to take it to bed with me. I definitely need a real Kindle.
Do I really need the 3G wi-fi? Or is the regular Kindle enough? And why?

Two Books...

2011-01-18T20:34:00.004-05:00

Right now I'm reading two books. One by James Patterson & friend and one by Lee Childs. I'm struggling with the Patterson book. The internal dialog of the characters is weirdly feminine for a NY cop and the external dialog is stilted. Then there's the tags. The main character is a hardened NYC detective. Okay, so this guy should be kool under pressure but half the time he's freakin out. He's screaming and yelling in people's faces and otherwise acting like he's never seen any action before. He's such a girl! Even the female FBI agent working with him isn't as feminine.
Now the Lee Childs book is a Jack Reacher book. This is a character that's often seen in Lee's books. I'm only a few chapters into this book and I totally forget that I'm reading. Lee Childs pulls me into the story with such skill I can feel the snow swirling around Jack as he sets the flares out on the road. I'm shivering and worrying and so far into the world Childs created that I'm late for work.
When I finally left the house I was trying to think what it was in Lee Childs book that yanked me in to his world and left me forsaking the clock, the fact that the roads are an icy mess and I intended to get an early start and the dogs who are waiting patiently for breakfast.
I know what Reacher's wearing, where he's been for the last few days and why he got on that bus. I could see it, feel it and hear it.
Lee Childs is a master. I want to write like him.
I haven't finished either of these books yet but I'll have more when I'm done with them.

Cat Litter

2011-01-17T20:14:00.002-05:00

I have a weird cat. She won't cover anything in her litter box. I have to take the little scooper-rake and cover things up so they don't smell. To make matters worse she won't use the box again if things aren't covered. It's like a punishment for not keeping up on my job. She'll pick a throw rug or towel or piece of clothing left on the floor to use instead. Once she even peed on the dog, but I think that was more of a vengeance thing.
What does cat litter have to do with writing?
Sometimes I'm meaning to get some writing done, but something in my environment isn't perfect and I put it off. I promise myself I'll write today but then I realize the room really needs vacumning so I'll do that first. Or maybe I'll just do a load of laundry or bathe the dog (because of the cat), or after Judge Judy (because the coming attractions looked like something I just can't miss!).
Whatever! It seems like there's something in the litter box that puts me out of the game.
This is my problem.
Now how do I overcome it?
I think when a woman has been a stay-at-home mom it's more difficult. For years while the kids were younger this whole house was my job. Kids grow up, I get an outside job and still everything in the house still seems like my job. It's like having two jobs.
It's hard to overcome or let go so I can get some writing/editing done.
>sigh<

Writer Brains

2011-01-16T15:17:00.003-05:00

Writers can be hard to live with. Even harder to watch television with.
I can often guess the plot before the show is over. I catch glitches in the story and point out why the crime scene doesn't make sense.
Hawaii 5-0 recently had a show where one of the characters is found kneeling in a parking lot or some such area, with a bomb strapped to his neck. One of the cops says, "Don't move. That's a mercury switch, if you move it will blow up."
A mercury switch depends on where the little drop of mercury is in the switch. If you lean to either side the mercury moves and completes the circuit and KABOOM!
So then the 5-0 character tells his would be rescuers that he doesn't know how he got there he was knocked out and just woke up in the parking lot.
Now remember as we come upon the scene the man is in a kneeling position. So that means, if he was knocked out, he would not have been in an upright kneeling position. He would have been laying down. Now, if it is a mercury switch, and he would have had to move up to the kneeling position, this would have set off the bomb. That's the way a mercury switch works.
Hmmmm...
I just can't let these things slide. It's bad habit. It's so apparent I just have to say something. It amazes me that others don't see this stuff.
I give away the plot and I dissect the inconsistent. I think its a writer thing.
Anyone else do this?

The Editing Process...

2011-01-09T14:08:00.004-05:00

I had Disregarding Heaven ready to go months ago and have the rejection to prove it. The only thing the editor said when she rejected me was that my hero didn't come in soon enough. Yet I've seen books where the hero didn't enter right away and they worked just fine. So I added a preamble. I'm doing a scene where the hero shows in the woman's life two years before. Which what happened but is only referenced in the way I originally wrote the story. Let's hope it works.
One thing I'm seeing while editing this story is I'll get to a place and think "I should put X here" and I insert it. Then I read down a couple of lines and see X. So I thought of it originally and did put it in. This is slowing me down as I have to keep back tracking and re-fixing the stuff I added that was already there.
>sigh<
It just makes me want to write a new story. Which I started because I had an idea pop into my head and had to get it down.
So what's your secret to successful editing?

2011-01-06T17:42:00.002-05:00

My story, Valentine's Day Disaster, is in the February True Romance Magazine. Yay!
It seems Dorchester revamped the True's office and the January issues went digital, but it seems February is back in print. Whew!
I think the audience for the Trues is definitely print type people. It's the kind of mag you curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea. I was worried.
True Confessions was started in like 1922 and after it's success True Romance bounced onto the scene followed by a bunch of others. They are simple stories about how people overcome hardships to find love. Fun to write, fun to read.
:)

Adventures in ebooking

2011-01-05T20:05:00.005-05:00

I've decided to have a go at putting an ebook up on Amazon. This is a learning curve as I don't really know what I'm doing. So here's the adventure. Step by step I'm going to post as I go along.
Step 1. Pick something already finished to put up as the ebook. I have several novels finished (rejected by agents) that I think are polished and ready to go. I'm choosing "Disregarding Heaven", a story about a woman who finds out she should have died two years ago and now has no destiny. When she finds out it's all her guardian angel's fault she goes looking for him and the show down ain't gonna be pretty.
One editor told me I introduced the hero too late and that he should have come in within the first ten pages. Hmmmmm, gotta think on that. I might have a slight change to make, but I have an idea on how to do it.
Step 2. Polish it one more time. I'm going through it again because I have this very nervous feeling that it won't be perfect and reviews will be biting.
That's where I'm at now.
All advice welcomed.

Self pub? The times they are a-changin?

2010-12-31T15:06:00.003-05:00

Visited J.A.Konrath's blog and he has up an interesting post about the evolving world of self publishing. I know for years self publishing has been a big no-no and thought to be only a thing to stroke the ego of a writer who has yet to be able to go the conventional route. But now?
I think it's a new world for publishing. Like everything else evolves so has book publishing. There's been many a time I laid down my good bucks for a book that should have been used to line the bird cage. As a yet unpublished (except for the Trues, ehow and Livestrong) writer I knew I could do better. I'm sure others have had the same experience. There were times I wondered if getting your book published was 50% talent and 50% luck. Hit the right agent on the right day when your words would hit the right ear at the right time.
So now we have Amazon's epublishing stuff where anyone can put their book up for sale. This means some books are going to be not so good. Wait, I've already paid good money for one (or ten) of those and they were from traditionally published authors.
So now I think about ebooking it and my biggest worry is the polishing. I want it to be perfect. I want perfect grammar, flow, execution and everything a good agent and editor would catch.
What about you? Do you ebook? Do you want to? What's holding you back?

Crayons is Back!

2010-12-23T09:56:00.002-05:00

I'm in a lot of pain the last few days. I had rotator cuff surgery three years ago and the pain still comes back. Sometimes its very bad. Like yesterday. And last night. And right about now. No one can explain why this pain comes back or why it won't go away.
Blah.
But today I found a reason to smile. Crayons is back! Crayons tells a story with her drawings. A while a go she closed up shop and said she ran out of things to say. But I would still go by her old site just to see if she had dropped by and today I found Crayons Encore.
Today, inspite of the pain, is a good day.
Thank you, Crayons. Your site gives me smiles.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

2010-12-16T09:35:00.005-05:00

Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King and I still haven't caught my breath. In this story a mysterious force field-like dome covers a small New England town trapping the people inside. Maybe that wouldn't have been too bad at first, but one of the town selectmen, Jim Rennie, has dictator issues and quickly works behind the scenes to create havoc. He fills the town police force with incompetent bullies, murders those who threaten to expose his crimes and manipulates the towns people to his own benefit. When the president sets up an ex-military man, Dale Barbara (Barr-beee), as the person in charge Big Jim pins him with a multiple murder rap and has him thrown in jail. Suddenly all the chaos created by Jim Rennie is blamed on Barrr-beee. What happens next will keep you on the edge of your seat.
My one problem with this book is the size...no it's not the length of the book...it's the physical size. This book is 4 inches thick in hardback. I guess I should have waited for the paperback because this book was hard to fit in my purse. And to make matters worse I couldn't put it down! lol So after going through the first few chapters I went out and got the audio version so I could listen during my 40 minute drive to work. Raul Esparza read this book and he is excellent. His ability to do voices was amazing and really took me into Chester's Mill and it's characters. I think he's the best reader I've ever had the pleasure of listening to.
The characters in this book will stay with me for a long time. When the book ended I felt like I was losing some old friends. Isn't that the best feeling in the world? Well done, Mr. King. Now...will you sign my copy?
Five stars. I loved this book!
Go to Amazon to see a video of Stephen King talking about this book.

Hacked!

2010-12-09T20:20:00.002-05:00

My web based email was hacked and someone sent out a weird email saying I was stranded in the UK and needed money. What kind of sicko does this? Then it wiped out all my contacts so I don't even know who it went out to. I'm fuming! I contacted yahoo and asked what they could do about it but haven't heard from them yet. Has this ever happened to you? What do you do about it?
I'm deleting my yahoo accounts which will also delete my flicker account but what else can I do?
Blah. Some people are so mean.

So You Want to be a Writer

2010-12-01T18:38:00.002-05:00

Work is really slow this time of year. In fact, it's dead. We sit around and watch movies, read, draw or paint, play computer games or surf. (I hate this job...I don't do well with boredom) And now the powers that be told us to stay off the internet.
REally? What the hell am I supposed to do now?
I want them to give me work...something...anything to do...but there is none for now. Even when there is work it's easy stuff so that's not that entertaining either.
I try writing and sometimes when the office is quiet I can get some done, but usually the chatter is too distracting.
I need a new job. Something busy and active. Blah, the job market isn't that great right now so I don't see anything that would fit me. . . yet. Being a full time writer isn't there for me. At least not yet. (I'm hoping!)
So, I'm looking.
While I'm looking, check this out -->

Cross Country, Oy! Mr. Patterson!

2010-11-14T20:52:00.004-05:00

Normally, I love James Patterson. Yes, I've heard the rumors that he doesn't write his own books and yes, sometimes those short chapters annoy the hell out of me, but generally I like his books. And I love the Alex Cross series.
Then I read Cross Country and prayed for it to be over. This was the worst book I've read in a long! long! long! time!
It broke all the rules! There were so many exclamation marks I thought I should be jumping up off my chair for every other sentence!
There there were the rhetorical sentences. They came in groups of three (always three!) in every chapter.
If you've ever read any of the Alex Cross books you know he's this big, tough detective. He's too smart to take unnecessary chances and always puts his family first.
He's the perfect man.
Well, whoever took over the Alex Cross in this book was none of those things. He came across dumb as a doornail, took stupid chances and was a really feminine. Yes, big tough Alex Cross came across in this book as a girl. Jacqueline Daniels had a bigger pair than this guy.
Now lets move on to the plot....Alex goes to Africa to try and track a murderer. However he goes without a clue as to where to look for this man. Africa is a big continent so....what's the plan Alex? Wander here and there and hope for the best to bump into this guy?
But lets back up, Alex has no proof that this guy is in Africa. He only has some rumors that the guy originally came from there. The Alex Cross in previous books was much smarter than this guy.
Weak plot and out-of-character characters make for a really bad book. And I think this book was written by a woman. The feminine voice comes through so loud and clear
I can picture big, tough Alex Cross running in high heels.
Sorry James, whoever wrote this book needs to go back to writing 101.

More Sales!

2010-11-10T12:16:00.003-05:00

Two more sales to the Confessions for January!
Yippy!

When is it Okay?

2010-11-07T21:14:00.004-05:00

I've read a couple of books lately where there are info dumps in the first two chapters. One, a very popular book, had so much back story in the first two chapters I was wondering when the story would start.
In my critique groups this was one of the biggest no-no's, but I see this happening in books all the time.
So when is it okay?
This is a picture of Trixie. She came up from West Virginia on the day she was supposed to be euthanized. This week she got a new family to love. Yay Trixie!

I. Have. To. Share.

2010-10-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

Freelancing...

2010-10-08T18:12:00.005-04:00

I've been doing a little freelance writing and having a lot of fun with it. I'm nervous every time I turn something in. I sweat out the rewrites and rejoice when I get an acceptance.
The amazing Mark Terry posted a whole freelance course on his blog a while ago and over these months I keep going back and rereading it. I wanted to do it, but was so scared to start. Fiction was easy. Fiction can take many roads and as long as you know the basic guidelines/rules you can make it into anything. But freelance?
DemandStudios.com lists jobs and you grab them up. Most are short, quick things that can be written in a couple hours (if that) and they pay between seven and fifteen. I heard they pay more but haven't seen it yet. These are getting easier and easier to write.
Constant-content.com lets you write whatever you want and put it up for sale. That's easier because I can write what I want and not what I have to. And you put your own prices on the article. So far, I've made nothing there, but I only have one article up. I'm working on a few more ideas and should have more up soon.
My daughter is working for odesk.com. They post jobs from private peeps and you do whatever job they want. This can include articles, ebooks, brochures, etc. Right now I don't have time to do odesk. Work is soul-crushingly busy and I don't want to commit to something I can't give my all to.
Anyway, I'm excited about this new endeavor and just wanted to share.
This is a picture of Trixie. She came up from West Virginia the day she was supposed to be euthanized. Now she's looking for a home.
:)

A New Blog...

2010-09-24T17:43:00.004-04:00

Since I've fostered a number of dogs already I've decided to start a new blog; Foster Dog Stories.
I hope it helps get the word out that there are millions of dogs our there that need our help. When I first started fostering I'll admit I was scared. What was I getting myself into? All kinds of questions ran through my head: Would I be able to handle a dog with "baggage"? What if they were mean? What if they pee on my furniture? What if I have to go somewhere? Who pays for the food and crates and stuff?
So that's why I started the blog. I'm hoping my experience will help others see that it's not so scary and you get a lot in return.
I may cry when I get a pancake dog or when I see the scars and neglect, but a few tears are nothing compared to the love you get in return.
So now that stuff will be on the Foster Dog blog and I'll keep the writing stuff here.
You don't have to save them all. Just start with one.

Do you Ebook?

2010-09-22T15:58:00.004-04:00

I read Konrath's take on the new self-published ebooks and I'm curious, a little afraid of it, but curious just the same.
I have one story about a woman reincarnated as a dog and it's told from the dog's perspective...how would I ever sell this to an agent??? I don't know how to put a positive marketing spin on it so I was thinking of Amazon. (Actually it's a lot more complicated than a reincarnated dog, but it's hard to blurb)
I really like this story. It's based on the fact that a soul mate doesn't have to be a romantic interest but just a higher connection.
However what holds me back is the fact that to go up as an ebook it would have to be perfect...beyond perfect. Every word, punctuation mark, paragraph would have to be absolutely perfect.
I'm not sure if I'm up to that much perfection.
Anyone got any ebooks they did themselves? Where did you publish? How did it work out?

Which would you buy???

2010-09-20T10:49:00.002-04:00

Kindle? Sony Reader? Nook?
I'm thinking of purchasing one of these, but I'm not sure which is better and why?
I want light weight. I want to be able to read in sunlight. I want a lot of books.
Anyone have one of these toys? Why did you choose it and how do you like it?

Courage and Freelancing...

2010-09-17T14:50:00.004-04:00

I've finally bitten the bullet and decided to give Freelancing a go. I'm nervously waiting for my reviews on two sites, Demand Studios and Constant Content.
Demand offers topics for you to write and has strict guidelines as to how each article should be written. I see this as a learning experience. Constant Content is more open. You post what you want and someone can buy it. They also have fairly strict copy editors who will review your work before it is accepted.

This is something I've always wanted to do but never had the courage to try. Even after the amazing Mark Terry put up a wonderful online course in freelancing I still worried that what I wrote wouldn't be good enough. Courage is a funny thing. We don't always have it when we need it. Some days its there and we feel like lions, but then it disappears like a whisper fading into the wind and we're left cowering under the desk.

I once read that courage was just fear holding out a moment longer. Do you think that's true? Where is your courage? Does it come from your convictions or your fears?

Let there be Peace on Earth and...

2010-09-10T20:26:00.005-04:00

I live across the bay from New York City. September 11th was a nightmare here. My little town is full of commuters. Most people I know train, bus or ferry across the Hudson (East River) every day to work in Manhattan. I like the Sea Streak the best. That's the ferry going from the Highlands to the city. It's a beautiful ride.
When the towers went down we could stand on our shore and see the flames from where the planes hit. Within hours our view of the New York skyline was blocked by a huge cloud of smoke. We could see the Statue but everything beyond that was just one big cloud of billowing smoke. Frantic, we all grabbed out cell phones to call our family and friends who we knew were in the city. Almost immediately cell phone service in to the city shut down and we realize how many cell phone antennas are/were on top of the twin towers. When we turned to the TV we caught images of people running from the smoke clouds chasing them down the street. I thought of my cousins, neighbors and friends who worked in the towers. It was days before we knew who made it out and who didn't. Family members went into the city each day searching through hospitals where many lay unidentified. The stink from the smoke hung in our air for days afterward. You couldn't go anywhere to escape it. That smell was in our yards, our cars and our homes. I still remember exactly how it smelled. I don't think I can ever forget.
I went into the city a few weeks later. We took the train and were met with armed soldiers who patroled the streets. They made us feel safe and horrified. The city wasn't the bustling explosion of life we knew, it was subdued. Shock still clouded the faces of those who walked the streets. Coming out of the tunnel from the train the walls were decorated with pictures and posters of the missing. Women in wedding dresses, mothers and fathers with children, graduation photos. "Have you seen this woman? this man? my wife?" We cried.
We went to see the Allergist Wife and at the end Valerie Bertinelli came out to thank everyone for not giving up on our city. She said we can't let terrorism take away our way of life. If we do, they win.
Now I see this preacher in Florida wanting to burn the Quran. Why? What purpose does that serve? Would burning the Bible avenge the Inquisition? As a man of God shouldn't he be using his powers for good instead of hate?
Somethings I don't understand.
Muslims didn't attack America, terrorists did. Just because they use God/Allah as an excuse that doesn't mean every Muslim in the world wanted it to happen. I have friends who are Muslim and they were horrified by 9/11. Muslims died in the towers along with everyone else.
So here's our memorial to 9/11. If anything let it be a day we should remember the importance of peace and respect.
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. And you. And him. And her. And them.

Wordiness...

2010-09-06T12:44:00.004-04:00

I'm going back over a story that's been on the shelf for a while and I'm trying to cut the useless words. Not an easy thing in fiction because we need to describe things. Hoping that when someone reads our stuff they can visualize the scenes. We need to put pictures into their heads, but how much is too much?
If I see too much description in a book I start skimming. Too little and I find myself going back to see if I missed something.
When writing sometimes I take things out only to put them back on the next rewrite. Sometimes I waffle back and forth---should I or shouldn't I?
I wish there was a black and white rule. Then I would know for sure.
Do you think Harlen Coben worries about these things?
This is my new foster dog. Her name is Riley and she's 3 months old.

The Trues...

2010-08-10T13:52:00.004-04:00

My story, Never Give UP, is in September's issue of True Romance.
:)
And they put in a cute pic of a dog there that totally matched the dog in my story. Yay!
Woof!

California Judge OVERTURNS Gay Marriage Ban

2010-08-04T20:49:00.003-04:00

Cheering here in New Jersey! Finally, we found one brain in California! This judge actually agrees that gay people should have the same rights as everyone else. Wow, what a concept!
This never should have gone to a vote in the first place. If our country is based on equal rights for each and every person then that should include everyone regardless of their personal choices. If the Emancipation Proclamation went to a vote of the general population slavery would still exist. Would women have the right to vote today if that went to a vote back then?
Of course not.
The human race grows and matures when they learn to accept each and every person is equal in every way. Today's decision is another step toward the maturity of mankind.
Yay Judge Vaughn Walker!

Shark!

2010-08-03T10:06:00.001-04:00

This little guy came ashore for a snack and closed our beaches.
I need to go watch that movie JAWS now....

To E or not to E...

2010-07-29T10:41:00.005-04:00

I've been reading a lot about authors who are now publishing their work as ebooks on Amazon and other places and it has me thinking that the face of publishing is changing.
Is this new round of self-publishing a good thing or bad?
Mr. Konrath has some very interesting thoughts on the subject. I've been reading his books since he published the first one and think he's an awesome writer. When you're looking over your shoulder at night as you read one of his books you know he has sufficiently creeped you out. And he's making money on his ebooks. We already know he's a good writer but his marketing and sales tactics continue to amaze.
We write because we love to tell the story, but for all those books that are sitting in a drawer right now, clean and ready to go, but without an agent who will take a chance on them maybe they belong as a ebook?
I have a book I love, I've written and rewritten and rewritten and now it sits there collecting dust. I'm not sure what genre it would fit in. What genre is the Marley and Me book in? It's kind of like that but from a dogs point of view. And it's more a novella size.
See?
It was a fun book to write and I love my characters, but under what label do you sell something like that?
I'm thinking .... maybe....ebook?
Do you publish your own ebooks? Would you? Where? How?
Have you reaped more problems or rewards from it?
This little pup is my new foster dog. He was found in the yard of an abandoned house. His hair was so matted they named him Marley.

Harlan Coben - CAUGHT

2010-07-28T11:48:00.004-04:00

When 17 year old Haley McWaid goes missing the community assumes the worst. Reporter, Wendy Tynes is on a mission to bring down sexual predators with her news program, Caught in the Act. When she publicly humiliates Dan Mercer and ruins his life things happen that make Wendy believe she may have been wrong. The story escalates and brings us into suburban America where more than a few secrets are hiding.
Nothing is as it seems in Harlan Coben's new thriller, CAUGHT. This book is a page turner that will make you believe one thing is true then twist everything around till you know nothing is as it seems.
In true Coben style this book will keep you up at night. I actually misplaced it at one point and tore my house apart to find it because I just had to find out how it ended.
Great read= 5 Aimless Stars

Getting the Groove back...

2010-07-27T11:14:00.005-04:00

I've been slacking for a while now and can't seem to get back in the saddle. I've been writing shorts and actually sold one but just can't seem to find my groove.
The health issues I've been dealing with since my car accident in 07 are still there to haunt me. My family dynamics are changing as my kids are grown up now and building their own lives and I think it's this combination that is dragging me down.
Taking in the foster dogs help. They often come from cruel and stressful situations and need extra TLC. The house still has some life in it, but I miss having the kids around.
I've been slacking off on all my writing groups which help me immensely. I just can't find the urge to go anymore. It's not like writer's block...its more like writer's don't care anymore. But I do, care that is, but still there's something missing. Perhaps my muse has fled the scene? Maybe it's all worn out and I have to go find a new one to push around? Did I work him to the bone and overload him so now he needs his rest? Ahhhh, Muse, where are you now?
Blah.
So HELP!
Where does the groove go and how can I hunt it down to drag it back?

Techie Help needed...

2010-07-22T19:25:00.002-04:00

I work in a place that is very slow this time of year. There is NOTHING to do there. I mean...no work at all. We're busy like 7 random months out of the year and I hate it. It drives me crazy to sit there and do nothing all day. I keep thinking of all the things I could get done if I were anywhere but there.
Today I surfed the net, read a book, played spider solitaire, read some more. I tried writing a little but there are too many people yapping and I forgot my ipod.
The one thing I used to enjoy was AOL's Instant messenger. My daughter lives in Florida and it was wonderful to chat with her while I sit there and do nothing.
Then the company blocked it!
Grrrrr....
So any techie's out there tell me how I can get around this blocked chat?
Gmail chat-blocked
MSN-blocked
Yahoo chat-blocked
Help!
The IT department is pretty good...I'll need some real geek help to beat this.
Either that or anyone know of a job that will keep me busy? I can't stand this down time! Why don't they put us on a four day work week for the summer? Why don't they lend us out to other departments? Something? Anything!

Taking a Break and Guilt

2010-07-20T19:10:00.004-04:00

I usually have several book length projects going at a time. (And I think this is my problem-I'm toooo ambidextrous.) But lately I've taken a break from working on this sort of stuff and moved to short stories. It's like having more room to breathe. Books are a commitment. They go on for hours, days, months, but a short can be cranked out in hours (not counting the rewrite). I'm having some issues finding homes for them all, but at least they're keeping my writer's muscle flexing.
So? Do you ever need a break? What do you do?

Head Hopping....I just can't let go of this...

2010-07-08T11:42:00.004-04:00

I'm listening to a book on CD in my car for my drive to work and...I have to go look up the author's name...she's head hopping. Not blatantly and if I wasn't a writer would I even notice? It's subtle but it's there.
We're in a room with four sets of parents of kids who have been kidnapped together. Our main head is Lena's (mother of one of the victims) and we're hearing her husband's thoughts at one part and then SNAP' we're back in Lena's.
It was just like one sentence, but it was there. We weren't Lena watching the husband or listening to him, we were in his thoughts. It was so well done I'm not sure it would have bothered me except for the fact I knew it was a head hop.
I was like ...wait a minute...flip the CD back a few paces...listen...again... Yep! that was a head hop.
So now my radar is up and I'm watching for more.
Like I said, this was very well done. It kept with the flow of the story and characters.
So when is head hopping okay? Is there some kind of rule?
Or, and I've seen this before, could this be an older, more established writer who is allowed to take liberties the rest of us poor folks don't get?

Finding Old Friends

2010-07-04T16:43:00.003-04:00

I met an old friend today. Someone I haven't seen in over twenty years. Someone I used to love. He is one of those people with a great sense of humor and all round good nature. His soul was pure. And seeing him today made me realize how much I missed him. He was there with is wife and told me about his sons and his pets. I could see by the way he talked about his life ...its been good and that made me happy.
I think seeing him today was a gift. A smile from God.

What Joy is

2010-07-02T09:30:00.005-04:00

When Coco came to our house she was very shy. That first night she whined constantly as she paced back and forth from the front door to the back. When I'd go to pet her she'd cower, head to the ground, eyes closed-like she was waiting for the smack. When it was time to eat she'd inch up and if I turned to quick she'd brace for the blow. My heart broke each time she cringed back against the floor.
She's been with me a little over two weeks now and her personality is coming out more and more.
She comes running to get her food and prances and wags her tail when she hears me get out the treat bag. She lays out on the deck in the sun and surveys the yard instead of cowering by my side. I see a bit of independence in her today that was missing when she first came.
And today I saw pure Joy. She ran to me, put her paws up then raced away, daring me to give chase. This repeated over and over as she would run into the bushes, peek out, then come racing back. She was playing! A first for Coco since she arrived hungry, scared and shaking. I raced her around the yard a few times just to see her joy.
This one has stolen my heart. She is going to be hard to give up.
Happy Independence Day!

Good News!

2010-06-24T12:22:00.001-04:00

I made a sale! I made a sale! I made a sale!
It's a short story but ...I made a sale!
:)
Smiling now.

The Oil Spill

2010-06-12T06:43:00.001-04:00

I GOT AN ARC!!!

2010-06-06T08:51:00.003-04:00

I came home the other day to find an Advanced Reading Copy of a book from Dorchester in my mail box. I'm so excited! There was a single sheet of paper in it telling me where to send my review. It also had someone's name, phone and email printed on the front of the book. Inside the author thanks her agent...one of my fav-wish-she'd-pick-me- agents...Jessica Faust from Bookends.
I don't know what I signed up for or how this book came to me, but I can't wait to review it.
It's a fantasy which is not really my kind of read but so far it's very well written. The use of language is absolutely .... beautiful. It almost reminds me of Koontz who I have long admired because of the way he weaves his words. If the rest of this book is as good as the first few chapters it's going to be a very good read.

I'm so excited!!!

Breakfast with Ginger

2010-05-28T21:47:00.001-04:00

For the Love of Books...

2010-05-26T15:33:00.002-04:00

My co-worker cleaned out her garage the other day and brought a bunch of books in. I pounced! it was like Christmas. I'd read the jacket- put it in my pile, pick up next book...repeat. Then I realized the stack of my keeps had grown quite large so I put some back. Then as they went to take the box away I reached in and grabbed one I had put back.
It's an addiction.
Now I have a nice little stack on my desk that I can plow through. Nothing makes me happier then having a pile of books nearby. This is reflected in my home, too. My nightstand has about five or six books on it. If open the top drawer of the nightstand and I can use that to house a few, too. Some I've read, some are waiting. The shoe rack at the end of the bed doubles as a book shelf also. (shoes kicked under the bed)
I used to have a dining room that got like Zero use so I took out the table and make it into a library. :) Bookshelves, comfy chair and a good light...it's like heaven.
The end tables in the family room has a book or two on it also. The bag I take to work a couple more and of course I usually have a car book. Just in case I go somewhere that I have to wait.
Every once and a while I have to clear out the books to make room for more books and I do this with mixed emotions. Sad to say goodbye, but happy to see the new ones.
Any other book addicts out there?

Dublyn

2010-05-23T22:00:00.001-04:00

Dublyn is a 3 year old shepard jindo mix. She loves people but needs a home where she would be the only animal. She is very faithful to her owners and is fully trained in basic commands both on and off leash. Dublyn's new owners will receive free training from Shelly's school for dogs in Freehold to learn and reinforce the commands she has been taught. Dublyn would make a perfect watchdog and companion for an active family or single owner. She is completely housebroken and is fine with being alone.

2010-05-09T09:10:00.002-04:00

Last night Elliot found his fur-ever family. He even has a little doggie brother to play with.
We packed up his toys and his food bowl, gave him some hugs and kisses for his journey and waved goodbye. Then as I watched them drive away Elliot's little face popped up in the car window and I saw a big smile. I think he'll be happy. His new mama was very dog-oriented and I could see she really loved her other dog.
Sometimes I think dogs know when good things are happening. Elliot loves car rides so he jumped right in and ran from window to window, but I didn't see him hesitate at all. Other dogs that have come through here always hesitated at the door like they didn't want to go. They'd pull back and look at me as if to say, "What are you doing? Don't let them take me!"
But not Elliot. He's a dog always ready for adventure and he bounced right out the door. It wasn't until I saw his little face in the car window that I teared up.
As much as it hurts to let go....we'll do it again because until there are none...we foster one.
Happy Mother's Day

Elliot's looking...

2010-05-05T11:16:00.002-04:00

This is Elliot. He's five and looking for a new home.
This weekend he'll be at the Blue Claws Stadium in Lakewood looking all cute and handsome for his new family.
Could this be you?
www.castle-of-dreams.com

Grammar Check...

2010-04-20T18:06:00.002-04:00

SOMETIMES THINGS JUST DON'T GO RIGHT....
It pays to watch your use of language. Since Tuesday was my 66th, this hit home.

On his 66th birthday, a man received a gift certificate from his wife. The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine man living on a nearby reservation who was rumored to have a wonderful cure for Er**tile Dysfunction. After being persuaded, he drove to the reservation, handed his ticket to the Medicine Man and wondered
what would happen next.
The old man slowly, methodically produced a potion, handed it to him, and with a grip
on his shoulder, warned, "This is powerful medicine and it must be respected. You take only
a teaspoonful and then say
'1-2-3.
"When you do that, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life, and you can perform as long as
you want."
The husband was
encouraged.

As he walked away, he turned to the old Medicine Man and asked, "How do I stop the medicine
from working?"
"Your partner must say '1-2-3-4,' he responded. "But when she does, the medicine will not
work again until the next
full moon."

The husband was very eager to see if it worked, so he went home, showered, shaved, took a
spoonful of the medicine, and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom.
When she came in, he took off his clothes and said, "1-2-3!" Immediately, he was the manliest of men.
His wife was so excited that she began preparing herself for the reception, and then she asked, "What was the 1-2-3 for?"
And that, boys and girls, is
why we should never end our sentences with a
preposition! One could end up with a ''dangling pariciple.''

Life Theories

2010-04-18T09:11:00.004-04:00

It's Saturday morning and for some reason I'm thinking about the world. I was reading Erica Orloff's blog about not being able to find a non-white doll in Walmart. Okay, the post was about a lot more than that but that's what triggered this train of thought. Incomprehensible how the mind works sometimes.
So that brings me to my theory on world peace.
Most of the bad feelings that initiate hate crimes, wars and other attacks on people or countries come from one side thinking the other side is wrong or different for some reason.
I believe world peace will come when all of the nationalities and races of the world are totally mixed.
A person who is half white and half black wouldn't hate either of those races. Now what if the person was black, Hispanic and Caucasian? Would they feel animosity towards any one in those groups?
I think when the world is truly mixed then we will find peace.
And that's my thoughts for today...

The Last Five Years....

2010-04-16T20:40:00.007-04:00

Five years is a long time. In some ways it can be a life time. And in Elliot's case it was...his lifetime.
He was adopted as a puppy and spent five years with a family. Then one day the family woke up and decided they had no time for him and sent this eight pound little fluff ball out into the world to find his own way.
So, he was taken into rescue and that's how Elliot ended up at my house. He's only been here a few hours, but so far he seems to be house trained, likes Halston and thinks the cat needs to be chased. But that's okay, we're explaining Gizzmo's right to pursue happiness and not to be pursued by dogs.
Right now he's pacing back and forth between rooms. A lot of the foster dogs that come through here do that. It's as if they're looking for their family and for those familiar things that used to be home. When we had Frieda the Basset Hound she would pace and whine for hours. I'd offer her food, water, a walk, but she wouldn't want anything but to pace and cry.
It breaks my heart but all we can give them is space and time.
After a day or so the dogs usually come around and start looking for some affection. A little rub behind the ears or a warm place to lay down near you.
It's kind of hard to watch them go through this process and then know that they're going to have to do it again when they go to their for-ever family. When Frieda went to her for-ever family she had some adjustment issues, but she's doing better now. She's starting to trust and her little personality is coming out more and more every day.
And now it's Elliot's turn to find a for-ever. Please wish him luck!

Five years....

When to hop heads...tell me how you do it???

2010-04-09T20:30:00.004-04:00

Since my writing has been lagging lately I've been reading a lot. Right now I'm reading Under the Dome by Stephen King, Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pinero (interesting romance about genetic testing) and something by Jennifer Cruise about a basset hound. (someone who knew we were hosting Frieda the Basset gave me that book the other day.)
So since I was once called a head hopper by a wonderful editor I've been worrying about this issue a lot. Some writers do this so smoothly you don't even feel it. The shift of POV is barely felt by the reader. Then there's others that I can see it clearly but for some reason it seems to work. Then there are writers who hop heads so often I have to back up and say...where was I?
So my question is how do you change POV's in a story? Do you have any rules on how you hop heads? Have you ever written a book totally in one POV?
Help!
I'm obsessing and I can't stop!

Write on...

2010-04-02T09:56:00.005-04:00

One of the most popular pieces of advice that writer's get is to write everyday. Something I haven't been doing. Something I've felt that I can't do.
Usually when I have ...gulp!...writer's block I just keep writing stories. Some bad, some terrible, occasionally a diamond in the rough surfaces, but I could always keep writing.
Now?
eh

I've even failed my blogs. It's like I've crawled into a dark hole with no desire to come out.
I spend my time trying to fix everything around me. Even things I have no control over. Maybe it's the Virgo in me. Maybe it's a place to hide.
So now I'm ready to write every day again. It's going to be hard. I'm not sure there's anything in my head to write about.
Ideas used to be easy. I always believed ideas were everywhere. Wherever you go there's something there to build a story on.
Grocery store? Hmmm, see the lady in the black coat? What if she has a gun in her pocket? What is she going to do with it? And what would bring her to the grocery store before going on a mission to kill?
Doctor's office? ...What if that person sitting across from you in the waiting room is being poisoned? Who's trying to get rid of her and why? Will the doc figure it out and then be a target also?
Walking the dog? ...As you walk through the wooded area next to your house your dog goes crazy barking at a clump of bushes and flushes out a creature you've never seen before. Do you take it home and make it a pet? Do you discover a new species? Or is it not of this world?
Work? ...If the next person who walks through that door brings a check for 10 million dollars and you've suddenly won the big lottery how does your life change? Who becomes your friend? Who becomes an enemy?
Ideas flow...
Wait! I think I'm starting to get the spark back...

Mud Dogs

2010-03-31T09:56:00.004-04:00

Had a bit of an issue this morning. I went to call the dogs in and Frieda (the basset hound) was missing. After searching the whole house and yard I couldn't find her and started to worry. She's my foster dog and I couldn't lose her!
Then I'm standing out on the back deck I hear crying coming from under it
so I go to the spot near the middle stairs where the dogs had been digging and call her. She cries louder and starts to howl. Our deck is very low to the ground and my husband nailed lattice to all the sides to keep the dogs from going under it.
I get down off the deck, high heels sinking in the mud and peer into the hole. All I can see is her nose.
She's behind the other big piece of wood and can't get out.
I walk all around the deck trying to call her out. Not an easy feat in high heels and mud… it's been raining in New Jersey for like---ever! Our backyard is a swamp and I'm dressed for work trying hard not to mess up my good clothes.
Finally I got a hammer and had to remove part of the lattice to get her out.
However after I got the lattice off Halston tried to go in (no way is the hole big enough for her so she just kind of laid in the mud with her head under there harrassing Frieda who was howling again. I finally get Halston out and Frieda crawls out covered in mud.

So How did your day start?

It means Freedom

2010-03-28T21:46:00.002-04:00

This little girl came up from North Carolina a few weeks ago. She went straight to a forever home. Unfortunately, she didn't get along with the two year old in the house and now she's here.
Frieda (I'm told her name means Freedom in German) is about 3 years old and very nervous. She was dumped in a shelter heart worm positive. They treated the heart worm and now she is doing good. A very sweet dog who needs a calm family. Maybe with older children. I've only had her a few hours now so I don't know anything else about her yet. She's trying to be the alpha dog here and Halston isn't allowing it. We've had a few skirmishes. Nothing big but I'm definitely going to have to crate her when I go to work. I absolutely hate to do it but until I know she's going to get along with Halston and Gizmo it's for the best.
Adopt don't shop.

Shelf life...

2010-03-23T14:19:00.003-04:00

Since I haven't been writing much lately - which I attribute to stress - I've been bringing some of my dinosaurs down off the shelf. These are dino's I love, poured my heart into and bled on.
And now I can see they need more blood. It's time to tap a vein for them.
This led me to see how valuable that shelf time is. If I hadn't let this go and stuck it in that dark corner of my office I don't think I'd see what I see now.

One is a story I love and I basically tried tried to write from two heads. The heroine and the hero. And now, rereading it, I can see the error of my ways. I think this would definitely be better from the hero's head since it's really not a romance. (Although we do have a sexual interlude.) I can see hero being the driving force in what happens here, but there are times when we have to see the heroine's point of view because she's the only one in the room. So do I write as the omni presence in the room or do I go into her head?
Dilemma.
Help!
Any advice?
Do you shelve it for awhile before going back for the final draft? Does it help?

Waiting for her new life to begin...

2010-03-18T21:46:00.004-04:00

This is Sally. She's a one and a half year old Feist mix. I think she might have some chihuahua in her too. She's about 10 lbs and pretty solid. She came up from North Carolina shelter yesterday with her five puppies in a truck that had about 50 big barking dogs. The truck stops at a designated meeting place and all the rescue groups show up to claim the dogs they agreed to take. For a little dog this can be a very scary situation. Sally was absolutely terrified. Even now her tail is tucked between her legs and she stays right by my side. At first she growled at Halston but now seems to accept that Halston is just a big goof who only wants food and attention. She spent most of the afternoon exploring the house and back yard then jumped up on the couch with me to nap. She slept for about two hours. I think she was exhausted.
The puppies were 10 weeks old and have gone to different foster families. Sally is staying with us until her forever family shows up.

Bad books, Good plot

2010-03-14T13:27:00.002-04:00

I'm reading a book by a very popular author. Same one who's audio book I finished last month and I have the same issues.
Head hopping. I've counted up to four heads on the same page and it's driving me crazy. But I keep reading because the plot is good. Sometimes it's hard to concentrate. I'll be reading along and then suddenly it's like hitting a pot hole...bam! Where am I? Wasn't I just in Claire's brain? Why am I remember things his sister said when they were four and Claire wasn't even a thought then? Okay, back track...yes, I was reading in her head and flip! now I'm in his.
And through all this I still want to know what happens next.
Good writer? Bad writer?
Now I want to go back and find the first book this author ever wrote to see if she was actually published with this rhythm or was it something now overlooked because she is more popular then Obama.
I write, I study writing, I read about writing so now I'm wondering if someone who really doesn't know that much about writing dynamics would pick up on this stuff.
What happens when good writers go bad?

Failure is not an Option...

2010-03-07T21:10:00.005-05:00

I was wandering around over at Mark Terry's blog where he said something about NASA and that their code is "Failure is not an Option".
The post was mostly about Stephen Parrish and his new book The Tavernier Stones. (Quick! Everyone needs to order a copy right now!) and how he helped nudge Stephen to the place he needed to be to find success.
This toggled me over to Stephen's blog and how he got published. He's done more rewrites then I ever thought possible. But more than that...he never gave up.
Failure was not an option.
It was the push I needed.
It's time to get back on the horse and if I can't find the old horse. Maybe I'll just have to write me a new one. I think I'm going to take back my 20 minute rule (every time I have 20 minutes I write--something) and just write. Good or bad I'm just going to write.
I think when real life throws us curves it's easy to forget our motivation and what moves us forward toward our own successes. Imagine if Stephen Parrish had given up at one of his many rewrites?
I think sometimes we need to remember that Failure is not an option we're going to accept.
The dream you hold could change the world.

Why I can't write...

2010-03-06T21:43:00.002-05:00

So I've been struggling with not being able to write for a couple of months now. This situation is new to me. I've been writing since I was...maybe 5 or 6? When I first discovered the joy of putting pen to paper all I wanted to do was write down stories. Things would come into my head and I'd just start putting them down. I remember when I was 8 or 9 my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas I answered a pen and a new pad of paper. She laughed and said, "No, really, what do you want?"
But I spoke the truth. It was my idea of a perfect gift. Give me something to tell my stories with and I'll be in heaven.
So you get why this idea of not writing is like someone put the brakes on my soul. It's in there, I know it, I can still feel it but there's something blocking it, keeping it inside. Like a trapped tiger I can feel it pacing, frustration growing as it looks for an opening.
So not being able to write has led me to searching for why I'm not writing. I'm analyzing my world, my life and my relationships.
First: My daughter moved to Florida for school. She needs a job and has been looking for months. I'm worried. I know she's a smart girl, educated (BS in psychology), and a hard worker. She made the Dean's list last semester, Yay! There's no reason she can't find a job. The economy sucks, thousands upon thousands are unemployed. I have hope that the economy will turn around. There's a job for her, it will come and I try not to worry. But hey! I'm a mom, it's my vocation.
Second: I had shoulder surgery three years ago. I still have a lot of pain and some days its worse...really worse. So I'm thinking I have to go back to the orthopedist and I'm scared he's going to say surgery again. The first round was blindingly painful and I fear doing it again. So I've put off calling the orthopedist. Call me a coward, I am.
Third: I'm not in love with my job. It's easy and boring. I'd rather be challenged. The people I work with are really nice and I'd hate to leave them but...the boredom is...crushing.
Fourth: Saturn is still in Virgo and transiting my first house. The first house represents energy, vitality and deepest desires. It's also linked to your state of health. Hmmmm, I think we're on to something here...
Saturn is the planet that challenges us, makes up step up and be counted. Some fear this planet because it twists your reality around and throws curve balls. It's been in Virgo for the last ...three years, I think?

Is any of this the reason I can't write? Who knows. I still get ideas. Things pop into my head and I blurt them down onto my hard drive but can't get it to go any further.
Writer's block...I always thought it was a myth. Now I'm not so sure.
How do you deal with writer's block?

2010-02-25T09:17:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I just can't write. This is something new. I've never not been able to write. In fact writing has been my safe harbor. Its the place I go to get away from everything else. But now...
It looks like we'll be snowed in this weekend. They are calling it a Snow-i-cane. A blizzard with hurricane like winds. Right now I'm at work watching the big flakes of snow cover my car outside my window. Some of the cars have their windshield wipers pulled out like bug antenna. I think they do this to keep them from freezing to the window. I've never done it. I'm New Jersey born and bread and fear someone will come along and snap it off. Not that this is a bad area but I imagine these things with such clarity that I can see them happening.
Love many, trust few...always paddle your own canoe. Words to live by.

So I pulled out an old manuscript from a few years ago and I've been going through it and scraping off the goo. You know that hazy combination of words that really take your story nowhere? Its a major clean up. As I look at these pages I wonder how I ever thought this stuff was ready for an agent? A good reason to step back and let a story peculate.
I think my writing group thinks I'm crazy. I bring different pieces of different stories every week. Sometime I just don't need/want feedback yet. I know it's not ...right...so I need to fix that before i show it to others. And there's always another story laying around I'm dabbling with that could use a tweak. That's what I bring. My secondary story. Like a secondary plot in a book, it's there but it isn't the main piece of work right now.
So tell me, how do you keep the juices flowing?
This is Rusty. We fostered him for about a week. He's a very loving and smart dog and I know he'll be a great addition to his fur-ever family. And I miss him.

Got no flow....

2010-01-31T12:24:00.004-05:00

Most times writing is the easiest thing I do. When I need to escape or have something to say it just flows out of my fingertips without a moments hesitation.
But The Blue Diamond is a struggle. I have to wonder if this is because its like an assignment. Or maybe a cross between an assignment and a challenge.
I'm writing it from an announcement by The Wild Rose Press that asks people to write something for their new Jewels of the Night line. I figured I was such a slacker lately that I needed a challenge.
Things like this usually excite me. Make me step up and just get it done, but somehow I'm just not finding the flow.
Is it the depression that seems to shadow me these days? The disappointment I feel with my day job? Inability to find a publisher for my last work?
Who knows.
My birds are leaving the nest. My best friends are taking off and finding their own lives, their own space in time and it's taking my soul.
Usually I embrace change.
I love new and different things whether it's moving to a new place, changing around a room, or changing jobs. I'm usually a try-new-things, jump-straight-in kind of person.
So why am I floundering now? I knew this was coming, worked hard to make them as prepared as possible and I'm happy to say they have turned out to be very capable, mature, intelligent young women. I'm so proud of them.
So why can't I find my place in the world now? I always knew where it was before, every change made me happy. Why can't I embrace this?
Can I coin the teen phrase, "Whatever"?
I'm making myself push through the Diamond, blurting it all down on the hard drive and hoping for the best. It's an effort to finish and an effort to get my flow back.
Hopefully, that's one thing I can get back.

Foster dog....

2010-01-28T14:04:00.002-05:00

Her name is Carmel but we've been calling her Peanut because she looks like one. This morning I received an email saying someone is interested in adopting her.
We receive this with mixed feelings. Although she's only been with us for 5 days she's fitting in real well.
She's loving and sweet and afraid of everything. This little scaredy cat is always ready for play and does laps around the house at top speed. She like a little furry bullet streaking through the rooms.
Today our dog, Halston actually started playing with her. Now Halston turns 14 in the spring so she doesn't play as much as she used to but it was good to see her giving chase to the little peanut.
I have to call the potential adopter tonight to set up a time to meet. Probably Sunday. My daughter is heartbroken. She fell in love with the little fuzzball and wanted to keep her. :(
Its hard to remember that this is the right thing to do. We can't keep every dog but we can help them find good homes. This home has one of Peanut's litter mates and the mom is a stay at home mom. In our house we work all day so the little girl is crated at this point (till she learns her toilet manners and stops chewing on every thing in site). She's going to a good home, we have to remember that.
The other foster mom's tell me that letting go of the first dog is always the hardest. She promises it will get easier...

Fame and writing rules

2010-01-25T12:23:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time a very nice editor told me that I was a head-hopper. Although it sucks to hear something like that after she requested a full it was probably the nicest thing she could have done. Now I keep a sharp eye out for that head-hopping stuff. It's so easy to fall into another character's head when he's not looking. After all, I know what he's thinking...why shouldn't everyone else?
But that's not good writing, is it? I think it was like a major deal breaker on the road to publication.
Enter Famous writer...
I have a 40 minute ride to work and listen to books on tape/CD. Right now I'm listening to a book on tape by a very famous romance novelist. She's a household name. Even if you never read romance or wouldn't even consider one of her books..you know her. She's top of the heap in her genre.
This book is a major head-hopper. I've even backed the CD up a few times to listen again. You know, to make sure I was paying attention and didn't miss some important scene change or something that would let me move to the new POV but uh-uh, this book bounces back and forth so much my ears ache. I want to snatch up my red pen and start editing.
I know this is on CD and therefore I can't see what I could see in print and that could make a difference. Like when there is a double space to indicate time change or some other way to move POV. But there would have to be a lot of white space in this book to make up for all the shifts.
My question is; Does fame make you impervious to the rules? Does there come a time when the editor stops editing if you're too famous?
Anyone else see this happen?

The Foster Child

2010-01-24T18:03:00.005-05:00

This is Carmel and she is our first foster dog. She was rescued from a high kill shelter in North Carolina. She was rescued and brought up here about a month ago and has had three foster homes so far. Mostly because of unforeseen life events that changed the foster families' dynamics. I told her she would stay with us till she found her forever home.
My daughter wants to keep her. She's easy to love. Half Dachshund, half Basset Hound. Her body is long, legs short and tail always wagging. Five pounds of love.
As soon as we got her home she put her nose to the ground and investigated every nook and cranny of the house. We took her outside so she'd get the idea from our other dog about what not to do in the house and she came back in and promptly peed in her crate.
At least it was in the crate.

It's been a long day and now she's sacked out on the big dog bed and snoozing.

Once upon a Query dreary....

2010-01-16T21:25:00.003-05:00

I've been playing over at Slushpile and, of course, I love the Query Shark so I was wondering if there's a formula for this stuff?
I have my own idea on what makes a good query and it breaks down to three things. Conflict, motivation and goal.
The conflict would be the hook or whatever sparks the story. Motivation is why the character feels they have to take action. Life or death? Righting a wrong? Saving someone? something? The goal is where they want to get to, which outcome they are working for.
I usually start with three sentences that say these things and go from there. If more is needed then I start layering in more information. Then I go back and start cutting.
Did I really need this word? Is this fact necessary at this point?
And the biggest questions...Do I have everything the agent needs to get the gist of the story? Is my hook strong enough?
If I were an agent and looking at my 100th query before lunch would this grab me?
I get rejections and I get some reads. Some very nice agents and editors give me good comments along with the not-for-them salutation. It's okay, rejections don't bother me anymore. Some day I'm going to wallpaper my bathroom with them.

How's your query?

Ideas?

2010-01-16T07:28:00.004-05:00

I've always believed that ideas are all around us. In John Irving's The World According to Garp the main character sees a red glove in the gutter and develops a whole story around it. From that we invented the game we call "Tell Me". I mostly did this to keep my kid's mind busy when we were in places where they could get unruly. (I figured diverting their attention was better than correcting it. Kind of the head-them-off-at-the-pass theory.) In the game someone picks an object somewhere in the room and challenges the person to tell a whole story behind the object. Amazingly we've found a spoon that dated back to the Civil War and once fed General Grant's horse!
So now I'm collecting ideas. I want to make a file of basic plot lines to have on hand for when I need a challenge or hit a block.
Anyone else do this? Does it help?

Thank God it's Friday!

2010-01-15T18:22:00.002-05:00

Shame on the NJ Senate

2010-01-11T20:19:00.004-05:00

Last week the NJ Senate voted NO to Gay Marriage. Here's a list of the Senators who feel that not everyone is created equal. They took a giant step back in the evolution of society.
Voting in opposition were:

* Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren)
* Sen. Tom Kean (R-Union)
* Sen. Fred H. Madden (D-Camden)
* Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris)
* Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson)
* Sen. Robert Singer (R-Ocean)
* Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth)
* Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen)
* Sen. Christopher Connors (R-Ocean)
* Sen. Philip E. Haines (R-Burlington)
* Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth)
* Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Passaic)
* Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex)
* Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer)
* Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Somerset)
* Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Morris)
* Sen. John Girgenti (D-Passaic)
* Sen. Sean Kean (R-Monmouth)
* Sen. Steven Oroho (R-Sussex)
* Sen. Jeff VanDrew (D-Cape May)

Thankfully, the fight is not over. Now it goes to court and hopefully a judge will know that all men are created equal and there's no provision in the Constitution that says "except if you're gay".
Some of the nay-sayers suggested it go on the ballot but really, would that be fair?
Would women have the right to vote if it went to a statewide vote?
Would slavery have been outlawed if it went to a country wide vote?
But hey, I'm sure that pesky no talking on the cell while driving law wouldn't have passed if we all had a say in that vote!
Sad to say I'm ashamed of my state. I thought they were more fair and forward thinking. I thought they could separate church and state. I thought they had a brain.

Hello January

2010-01-07T08:41:00.003-05:00

Cold weather here in the north east brings pain from an old shoulder injury. The pain radiates from jaw to fingertips so everything seems like an effort. Even typing. I exist on Advil and heating pads while I try to pound out a few pages every day.
And my Blue Diamond seems to be a struggle right now. There are things I have to get settled within the story and it's freakin' boring. She's homeless but I need to have hero-man help her without her being too needy about it. So it's a battle between keeping her independent and letting him in enough to supply some help. I need her slightly indebted to him so she takes up the adventure he's offering.
Does any of this make sense?
How do you get over the abyss in your story? It's there, it tells us stuff we kind of need to know but I feel like I'm missing something here.

Wild Rose Press and finding my groove

2009-12-29T19:31:00.003-05:00

Sometimes in this writer's life there comes a certain kind of depression. I recognise it, know it will pass and just enjoy it while it's here. It gives me time to contemplate things I otherwise would be too busy to think about. This time it brought the urge to give up. Thoughts like; Why am I trying so hard? It's never going to happen! I should just give up. Stop the polishing and the rewrites and just forget this idea of getting published.
Whew! I've even stopped visiting my fav agent blogs (a morning ritual). I don't post as much and although I read all my other fav writer's blogs I'm not posting comments there either. I feel like I should crawl into my shell and just let it all pass me by.
:(
Then I got the email newsletter from Wild Rose Press and saw a contest. They are starting a new line and looking for writers to write a story that has "a blue diamond" it in.
Slowly the wheels in my head started squeaking. Turning slowly around the word "blue diamond". So many possibilities leaked through my brain. A person? place? actual diamond? The Blue Diamond could be anything.
And best of all this contest has a deadline.
I love deadlines. They push me, block out all other interuptions and make me move.
So I've been moving, writing once again and it feels good. Then today I realized the depression had lifted. Thoughts cleared and the buzzing in my brain turned into action.
I think sometimes the cure for this writer's depression is a goal. When we have no goals we flounder, wander and sink deeper into the numbness of our own brains.
I have a goal now and hit just hit 30 pages.
Ahhhh....life is good once again.
What do you do when you want to give up? Where is your magic cure for inertia?

It's the Pressure of the Season

2009-12-24T10:29:00.004-05:00

As I was driving to work the other day the DJ was talking about not having the Christmas spirit this year and it got me thinking.
I too, lag in spirit this year and I tried to figure out why. I miss the excitement of childhood where I practically danced through December awaiting that big day. When did it disappear? Why did I lose it?

I think it's the pressure.
How many people do I have to buy for? Did I forget anyone? Will they like this? Will they like that?
Oh! Another party tonight! And tomorrow night! When am I going to find time to get anything done?
Company's coming! Clean the house!
Shopping for dinner parties, pick up some wine so you have something to bring to dinner parties, remembering which house you can't bring wine to, and wondering if it's okay to bring store bought cookies because you don't have time to bake.

I admire the people who get all their shopping done early. But how do they know what to buy? I agonize over such things! This causes procrastination and delays the inevitable shopping trips which turn one of my favorite hobbies (shopping) into a torture sessions.

Believe me, the day after Christmas is like letting out a long breath you've been holding for a month...is it over?
Oh no! Another Christmas party on the 27th!
Here we go again....
It's the pressure of the season, hope you survive!
Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

I love this guy!

2009-12-16T15:38:00.001-05:00

Open letter to the New Jersey Senate

2009-12-10T15:07:00.006-05:00

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
I believe that line was from the Declaration of Independence. And now in New Jersey the bill for Gay Marriage is up for a vote. It looks like it's going to be close. The only good thing is our lame duck Governor says he'll sign if it makes it to his desk. God bless him.
Now the only argument I've heard against giving gays the right to marry is that marriage is between a man and a woman. I didn't see that in our Declaration. As a matter of fact not much was mentioned about women at all...we need to edit this doc asap!
Is this whole issue a matter of semantics? They can have a civil union but not a marriage then why shouldn't we just have civil unions and do away with marriage entirely? It certainly doesn't make us all equal if only certain types of people can use it, right?
Remember that separation of church and state? In NJ we see lots of religious leaders sitting in the front row ready to speak out against gay marriage. I guess they didn't hear about that separation issue.
Women had to fight for their rights
Blacks had to fight for their rights
And now it's Gays. Who are entitled to the same rights as women, African Americans and every one else. To deny them is unconstitutional and denies them the right to pursue happiness. If we truly are the land of the free we can't exclude any one group and still be true to the freedoms granted to us by the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
We hold these truths to be self evident. Come on New Jersey Senate! Vote with your heads and with the truths that founded our nation. Vote YES!
Want to do more? Go to Middletown Mike's site for contact information to email the powers that be: http://middletownmike.blogspot.com/

Surprize!

2009-12-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

Books, books, and more books...

2009-11-26T20:45:00.005-05:00

I have books. Lots of books. Books in bookcases, books under beds, books in boxes, books under tables, books in nooks, nooks full of books, books in boxes in the attic... I was in my office today, which doubles as a gym, and feeling crowded. It's time to get rid of "stuff" and as I look around, aside from the box of manuscripts on the floor and piles of them on my bench, the books are taking over. One bookcase is full of crime stuff; forensic books, books of poisons, studies of criminals and cases, police procedures, etc. Another has art books; painting rocks, acrylics, oils, pastels, drawing, Dewberry, landscapes, etc. The one standing on my work bench has my writing books; everything from the sweet and inspiring Artist's Way to Stephen King's On Writing (he has the heart of a small boy---in a jar on his desk). Moving out to the little alcove we call a library we have books on Celiac Disease, cook books, some collector items, a few fav's we might read again some day, dictionaries(my favorite book!), thesaurus, books on CD's, some Vonnegut's, Koontz, King, Konrath and Corben among others. Moving into the family room there's another bookcase with nutrition books, cooking (Kill it & Grill it), some medical manuals, oops, there's another forensic book there sandwiched between two more Konraths and an Evanovich. Let's not even go into my bedroom where I routinely knock over the pile of books on my nightstand while I'm looking for things. (this is why I can't own a kindle-I'd probably kill it.)
I've really got to thin out the herd. Any suggestions? How do you decide what to toss and what to keep? I mean, really! How can I get rid of something I might someday want to read? And how do I know the next person will love them as much as I do?
Help!

Harlequin goes to self publishing? Yikes!

2009-11-20T12:32:00.004-05:00

The publishing community is reeling over Harlequin's announcement that they are hooking up with a self publisher and putting the Harlequin name on it.
Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this like a cop out? Or are they in financial trouble and looking for a quick way out?
It kind of scares me. I've read a few self published books and granted, a few are fairly good, but most lack the editing necessary to make a good book. I've often wanted to break out the red pen and go at them myself. To the author so desperate to see their book in print that they opt for this way out I'd like to say; RETHINK!
Getting a book from the authors hands takes the skill and talent of many people in the publishing house. Just because there's a cover on the book doesn't mean you should be proud of it. Keep working, editiing, critiquing and sending it out to agents and reputible publishing houses, but don't give up and self publish.
I'm a little ashamed of Harlequin. What happens now to their base of authors who work so hard to perfect their work now that substandard work will now bear the Harlequin name?
Thoughts?

Keeping track of submissions...Oy!

2009-11-14T13:46:00.006-05:00

I was sending out queries for my latest WIP. I got a little interest but one sweet editor gave me quite a critique (Thank You!) and I'm rethinking my opening now. So the brakes are on until I redo it. However when I started sending it out I put it all in a file somewhere on my computer so I could track who/when sent/when returned and not query the same one twice. (How embarrassing would that be?) But here's the problem...
I can't find it. It's hiding somewhere in my computer but I can't remember what I named it or where I put it. Hmmmm....
Now the Halston update:

Stitches are out. (She didn't like that at all-we had to pin her down to get them out.) But the biopsy on the tumor came back as a class 2 out of 3. This means there is a really good chance it could come back, somewhere. So they recommend something called Neoplazene (hope I spelled that right) which is a newer drug that stops cancer cells from dividing. So we're probably going to do it. I've looked it up and it seems to be fairly safe. The only side effect is vomiting and diarrhea which can be controlled by lowering the dose. Most of the case studies I've read in dogs show good results and at Halston's age(13) she'll probably be on it for the rest of her life.
It is what it is.

The Halston Report

2009-11-04T21:33:00.004-05:00

This is Halston's boo boo. She was a little slow to get up and down the first day she was home. But she still smiled at us like we were the bestest people on earth and she was just happy to be with us. (And extremely happy she was not at the vet's anymore)
Then we had to keep a T-shirt on her so she wouldn't injure her stitches. That was an old shirt from the Exchange Student program I used to work for and since it was Halloween we told everyone she was an Exchange student. People who saw her had lots of fun guessing which country she was from. The most popular vote was Pluto.
Now she seems like her old self. Happy and with lots of energy.
Next Friday she goes back to the vet to have the stitches removed. She usually goes beserko when we enter the vet's office. I think I might have a real tug of war on my hands this time.
:)
Giving her lots of hugs and cuddles now.

Halston

2009-10-30T16:08:00.003-04:00

Just called the vet. Halston is doing good and we can pick her up at 6:30
Yay! Thanks so much for your prayers and postive energy.
:)

Halston needs prayers...

2009-10-26T21:43:00.004-04:00

This is Halston. She was born at the Seeing Eye up in Morristown, NJ. That's a place that raises guide dogs for the blind. Halston was given to our family to raise for 18 months. And we did. We took her to Guide Dog Puppy Club every month. As a group we took the dogs on trains, planes, into stores and libraries and even some school functions. It was a great time and the kids loved it.
Then one day a van from the Seeing Eye pulled up in our driveway to take Halston back. Our job was done. We had to give her back so she could be trained to lead blind people around. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. We walked Halston out and they put her in a crate in the van. As the crate door closed and she realized we weren't going with her she went crazy. Barking and clawing at the crate door as they closed her in. The kids burst into tears and ran back into the house. I tried to tell myself we were doing a good thing for the blind person who would some day have a great dog like Halston to guide them, but it was so hard.
About a week later the phone rings and my youngest daughter answers it. It's a lady from the Seeing Eye. As I take the phone both kids are bouncing up and down in front of me with hands clasped, praying to get her back.
See, if the dog fails guide dog school for any reason the puppy raisers are offered the dog back.
The lady on the phone says Halston failed, do we want her?
:)
Of course we do!
They fixed her first and then four weeks later we headed up to Morristown to pick her up. We were guided into a room and told to wait. Then the door opened and there was our Halston. Thinner but definitely the same happy dog we gave up. She ran into my arms and sent me sprawling backward as she attacked with wet licky kisses. It was wonderful and Halston has been lighting up our lives ever since. 13 YEARS!
Last week I found a lump on her chest. Wednesday they aspirated the site and it came back as mast cell cancer. Sunday (yes, my wonderful vet is open on Sundays) we did xrays and blood work. Both came back clear. A good thing! Now she is scheduled for surgery on Friday to remove the lump.
Please pray that everything goes good and she comes out of this happy and healthy. Halston needs some prayers.

Confrontations are a bitch...

2009-10-24T13:18:00.000-04:00

What's for dinner deer?

2009-10-20T18:45:00.000-04:00

Dear little Blog...

2009-10-10T18:12:00.004-04:00

I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. Work gets busy and by the time I get home my eyes are bleary from staring at the computer for so long. I work in the election biz so we're gearing up to make sure November 3rd is all by the book. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes when you walk into the polling place. The election officials have been working for months to make sure everything will run smooth and by the time you place your vote their brains are fried. And it ain't over when the returns come in. There is still more to do. Clean up work. Then it starts all over. There are lots of little elections going on around the country in little towns that you may never hear of. Special school elections, fire elections, municipal elections...
So, if I haven't been here a lot it's because my brain cells are fried. My writing is taking a back seat and I feel like it's eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep, work...
Hopefully, I'll be back before November...but it not...happy writing!